Volkswagen Group of America announced today that it has appointed David Detweiler to serve as Executive Vice President and General Counsel, effective February 1, 2016. Mr. Detweiler is a U.S. citizen who received his law degree from the University of Virginia and began practicing law in New York in 1995. Most recently he worked for the international law firm Clifford Chance in Frankfurt, Germany.
Volkswagen also announced that it has appointed David Geanacopoulos to the new position of Senior Executive Vice President for Public Affairs and Public Policy. Mr. Geanacopoulos has served for nearly 8 years as the Company’s general counsel and head of government relations.
In his new role, Mr. Geanacopoulos will, as a member of the company’s Board of Directors, continue to serve on the VW’s top executive team dealing with the diesel emissions matter. His regular responsibilities will focus on the VW’s interactions with government and other institutions in the United States on all aspects of public affairs and public policy. He and the government relations team will work from a new office VW will open shortly in downtown Washington, DC.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
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